There are two things a serious athlete or even a frequent gymgoer should never skip: leg day—of course—and recovery. In a world, however, where pushing harder is often our No. 1 priority, most of us still treat post workout muscle recovery like a footnote to our grind. We show up for heavy squats, sprint intervals, and brutal metcons, yet when it comes to recovery, we default to half-hearted foam rolling or occasional rest days.
The relationship between training intensity and recovery is a delicate balancing act, and most athletes walk this tightrope without a net. Physical therapist Dr. Matt Mainelli explains that muscle recovery isn’t just about what you do after training, but about how well you balance stress and recovery throughout the week. “Proper programming, deloading when necessary, and active recovery methods like walking or mobility work can keep strength athletes progressing without unnecessary fatigue,“ he says, adding that recovery is about adapting to stress and coming back stronger.
The science backs him up. Research shows that optimal performance exists in a sweet spot between stress and recovery. When moderate training loads are paired with proper post workout muscle recovery, you can adapt successfully, enhancing strength, speed, and resilience. But as the training load climbs, think more volume, more intensity, more frequency, the your body’s recovery demands also spike.
If recovery efforts don’t scale with this rising stress, you may be at higher risk of under-recovery. When stress exceeds recovery capacity, your nervous system, hormonal balance, and muscular repair processes may start to break down. In this elevated stress state, Dr. Mainelli points out that when recovery gets neglected it may “lead to chronic fatigue, slow repairs, and a higher risk of breakdowns.”
To ensure that you get the adequate amount of recovery, we asked Mainelli what’s an ideal guide to recovery.
Recover
Keep your muscles ready to go with these key aspects of recovery.
Read article
According to Mainelli, if you’re training hard, active recovery once or twice a week can keep the body moving without overloading it. While recovery, much like training, needs to be tailored to individual needs, we asked him what it would look like to categorize it into a three-tier system. Here’s how he broke it down to help maximize adaptation between workouts and optimize your body during prolonged sedentary periods.
iana_kolesnikova/Adobe Stock
Some of the most underrated—and overlooked—strategies cost nothing.
Movement snacks: A term coined by biomechanist and author Katy Bowman, snacking on movement instead of Oreos goes a long way. “Walking, squatting, shifting positions, and just keeping your body moving throughout the day makes a huge difference,” Dr. Mainelli says. Set an alarm and move frequently, even if for just five minutes. Swap sitting marathons for squats, hip mobility drills, or even hanging from a bar.
Breathwork: Just five minutes of diaphragmatic breathing helps to downshift your nervous system into recovery mode and boost circulation.
Posture variation: If you sit a lot or deal with persistent tightness, Dr. Mainelli says the key is frequent position changes and varied movement. “Instead of just stretching, focus on dynamic movement, loading tissues in different ways, and addressing the nervous system’s role in tension. Walking, deep squats, and shifting between sitting, kneeling, and standing throughout the day can do more for circulation and stiffness than static stretching alone,” he explains.
Sarah/Adobe Stock
For under $100, you can create a recovery toolkit with serious impact. These he says are “small investments that go a long way when used consistently.”
Foam rollers & lacrosse balls: You can use these tools either during your pre-workout for dynamic prep or as a post-workout maneuver for slow, deliberate tissue work paired with breathwork. Foam rolling technique matters, Mainelli underscores. “Before training, rolling should be brief and active, focusing on boosting circulation and prepping the nervous system rather than trying to ‘release’ tissue. For recovery, the approach is slower, with longer holds on tight areas and incorporating breathwork to help downregulate the nervous system.”
Resistance bands: Essential for mobility circuits, dynamic stretching, and muscle activation.
Meditation/Breathwork apps: Dr. Mainelli recommends the Waking Up app as a great starting point for guided breathwork and mindfulness sessions.
a.dl/Adobe Stock
Elite athletes are turning to professional-grade recovery interventions, and for good reason.
Neuromuscular therapy: Admittedly biased, but Dr. Mainelli says his go-to for helping clients with recovery is Neufit’s Neubie device. This is the one even Joe Rogan is a fan of. “It helps shift the body from fight-or-flight mode to parasympathetic dominance, accelerating recovery, reducing pain, and can also promote vasodilation, helping expand blood vessels and boost circulation,” he explains.
Compression therapy: Compression boots are very effective in stimulating lymphatic drainage and helping to relieve muscle soreness.
Sauna: Backed by many years of research, saunas have been the ultimate recovery modality for centuries. They “promote circulation, relaxation, and cardiovascular health while also stimulating heat shock proteins that aid in cellular repair,” Dr. Mainelli explains.
It may be tempting to just squeeze recovery into your day, having more intention behind it will always make it more impactful. “If you only have 20 minutes a day, there might be a bigger problem,” Dr. Mainelli warns. “Recovery isn’t something you cram into a short window, but rather it should be a part of your daily routine.
However, starting somewhere is better than not starting at all, so if we’re making recovery more digestible, here’s his advice:
First 5 minutes: Breathwork. Start with deep diaphragmatic breathing or physiological sighs (double inhale through the nose, slow exhale) to shift your nervous system into a parasympathetic state. This primes your body for actual recovery.
Next 5 minutes: Walk, just walk. It’s one of the most underrated recovery tools, promoting circulation, lymphatic drainage, and joint mobility. If you sit a lot, this is non-negotiable. Added bonus if you walk barefoot or on varied surfaces to stimulate foot mechanics.
Final 10 minutes: Movement snacks throughout the day. Instead of cramming all your recovery into one session, break it up into those “movement snacks.” Do bodyweight squats, lunges, or spinal rotations between tasks. Set a reminder to stand up every hour and move for 1-2 minutes—whether it’s stretching, hanging from a bar, or walking around. If you feel tight, use self-myofascial release with a lacrosse ball for a minute, rather than dedicating a big chunk of time at the end of the day.
“The goal is to recover as you go, rather than trying to ‘fix’ everything in one session,” he says. “Small, frequent movement breaks add up and keep your body in a better state all day long.”
Continue reading...
The relationship between training intensity and recovery is a delicate balancing act, and most athletes walk this tightrope without a net. Physical therapist Dr. Matt Mainelli explains that muscle recovery isn’t just about what you do after training, but about how well you balance stress and recovery throughout the week. “Proper programming, deloading when necessary, and active recovery methods like walking or mobility work can keep strength athletes progressing without unnecessary fatigue,“ he says, adding that recovery is about adapting to stress and coming back stronger.
The science backs him up. Research shows that optimal performance exists in a sweet spot between stress and recovery. When moderate training loads are paired with proper post workout muscle recovery, you can adapt successfully, enhancing strength, speed, and resilience. But as the training load climbs, think more volume, more intensity, more frequency, the your body’s recovery demands also spike.
If recovery efforts don’t scale with this rising stress, you may be at higher risk of under-recovery. When stress exceeds recovery capacity, your nervous system, hormonal balance, and muscular repair processes may start to break down. In this elevated stress state, Dr. Mainelli points out that when recovery gets neglected it may “lead to chronic fatigue, slow repairs, and a higher risk of breakdowns.”
To ensure that you get the adequate amount of recovery, we asked Mainelli what’s an ideal guide to recovery.
Recover
5 Things You Need to Know About Recovery
Keep your muscles ready to go with these key aspects of recovery.
Read article
A PT-Approved Recovery Playbook
According to Mainelli, if you’re training hard, active recovery once or twice a week can keep the body moving without overloading it. While recovery, much like training, needs to be tailored to individual needs, we asked him what it would look like to categorize it into a three-tier system. Here’s how he broke it down to help maximize adaptation between workouts and optimize your body during prolonged sedentary periods.
iana_kolesnikova/Adobe Stock
Tier 1: Foundational (and free) Recovery
Some of the most underrated—and overlooked—strategies cost nothing.
Movement snacks: A term coined by biomechanist and author Katy Bowman, snacking on movement instead of Oreos goes a long way. “Walking, squatting, shifting positions, and just keeping your body moving throughout the day makes a huge difference,” Dr. Mainelli says. Set an alarm and move frequently, even if for just five minutes. Swap sitting marathons for squats, hip mobility drills, or even hanging from a bar.
Breathwork: Just five minutes of diaphragmatic breathing helps to downshift your nervous system into recovery mode and boost circulation.
Posture variation: If you sit a lot or deal with persistent tightness, Dr. Mainelli says the key is frequent position changes and varied movement. “Instead of just stretching, focus on dynamic movement, loading tissues in different ways, and addressing the nervous system’s role in tension. Walking, deep squats, and shifting between sitting, kneeling, and standing throughout the day can do more for circulation and stiffness than static stretching alone,” he explains.
Sarah/Adobe Stock
Tier 2: Low-Cost Tools With High Returns
For under $100, you can create a recovery toolkit with serious impact. These he says are “small investments that go a long way when used consistently.”
Foam rollers & lacrosse balls: You can use these tools either during your pre-workout for dynamic prep or as a post-workout maneuver for slow, deliberate tissue work paired with breathwork. Foam rolling technique matters, Mainelli underscores. “Before training, rolling should be brief and active, focusing on boosting circulation and prepping the nervous system rather than trying to ‘release’ tissue. For recovery, the approach is slower, with longer holds on tight areas and incorporating breathwork to help downregulate the nervous system.”
Resistance bands: Essential for mobility circuits, dynamic stretching, and muscle activation.
Meditation/Breathwork apps: Dr. Mainelli recommends the Waking Up app as a great starting point for guided breathwork and mindfulness sessions.
a.dl/Adobe Stock
Tier 3: High-Tech & Pro-Level Recovery
Elite athletes are turning to professional-grade recovery interventions, and for good reason.
Neuromuscular therapy: Admittedly biased, but Dr. Mainelli says his go-to for helping clients with recovery is Neufit’s Neubie device. This is the one even Joe Rogan is a fan of. “It helps shift the body from fight-or-flight mode to parasympathetic dominance, accelerating recovery, reducing pain, and can also promote vasodilation, helping expand blood vessels and boost circulation,” he explains.
Compression therapy: Compression boots are very effective in stimulating lymphatic drainage and helping to relieve muscle soreness.
Sauna: Backed by many years of research, saunas have been the ultimate recovery modality for centuries. They “promote circulation, relaxation, and cardiovascular health while also stimulating heat shock proteins that aid in cellular repair,” Dr. Mainelli explains.
Muscle Recovery On a Tight Schedule
It may be tempting to just squeeze recovery into your day, having more intention behind it will always make it more impactful. “If you only have 20 minutes a day, there might be a bigger problem,” Dr. Mainelli warns. “Recovery isn’t something you cram into a short window, but rather it should be a part of your daily routine.
However, starting somewhere is better than not starting at all, so if we’re making recovery more digestible, here’s his advice:
First 5 minutes: Breathwork. Start with deep diaphragmatic breathing or physiological sighs (double inhale through the nose, slow exhale) to shift your nervous system into a parasympathetic state. This primes your body for actual recovery.
Next 5 minutes: Walk, just walk. It’s one of the most underrated recovery tools, promoting circulation, lymphatic drainage, and joint mobility. If you sit a lot, this is non-negotiable. Added bonus if you walk barefoot or on varied surfaces to stimulate foot mechanics.
Final 10 minutes: Movement snacks throughout the day. Instead of cramming all your recovery into one session, break it up into those “movement snacks.” Do bodyweight squats, lunges, or spinal rotations between tasks. Set a reminder to stand up every hour and move for 1-2 minutes—whether it’s stretching, hanging from a bar, or walking around. If you feel tight, use self-myofascial release with a lacrosse ball for a minute, rather than dedicating a big chunk of time at the end of the day.
“The goal is to recover as you go, rather than trying to ‘fix’ everything in one session,” he says. “Small, frequent movement breaks add up and keep your body in a better state all day long.”
Continue reading...
